FOI reference: FOI-2025-3218
You asked
I would like the 90th to 99th percentiles (i.e., the earnings values at each percentile from 90% to 99%) for gross weekly earnings of full-time employees in the UK, for each year from 2015 to 2025 (based on the April reference period for each year).
If possible, please provide this for all full-time employees combined, and separately by gender (male and female).
We said
Thank you for your request.
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. ASHE is based on a 1% sample of employee jobs taken from HM Revenue and Customs' Pay As You Earn (PAYE) records. Consequently, individuals with more than one job may appear in the sample more than once. ASHE does not cover the self-employed or employees not paid during the reference period. ASHE information relates to gross pay before tax, National Insurance or other deductions, and excludes payments in kind.
Tables 1, 2 and 3 in the associated download show the gross weekly pay for full-time employees in the UK taken from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) for the 90th-99th earning percentiles for the years 2015 to 2025 (the latest period for which ASHE estimates are available). Table 1 presents the data for all full-time employees combined, table 2 for male full-time employees, and table 3 for female full-time employees. As with any survey, estimates from ASHE are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
The 2022 data may not be directly comparable to the 2023 and 2024 data. This is because we have introduced improvements to the method for processing returns to the ASHE survey questionnaire for 2023 and 2024 data. More information can be found in our blog published on 29th October 2024: Exploring this year's earnings figures.
The April 2025 data is provisional and will be revised in line with normal practice for our October 2026 publication.
The information provided in this response can be found in our published ASHE table Estimates of earnings for the highest paid employee jobs by public and private sectors, UK.